A Darwen-based engineering and fabrication group has been chosen by The Ruskin Museum to provide ongoing maintenance to the hydroplane that was once owned by land and water speed record breaker Donald Campbell.

WEC Group has 14 manufacturing companies that specialise in individual areas of engineering and fabrication, having started out as a small welding shop in Darwen more than 40 years ago.

The Ruskin Museum, based in Coniston, Cumbria, has exhibits inside telling the story of Donald Campbell, who broke four world water speed records in the Bluebird K7 on Coniston Water.

The latest iteration of the hydroplane is what WEC Group have been tasked with looking after.

Steve Hartley, who started the company, said: “The Bluebird K7 Hydroplane was originally manufactured at Samlesbury Engineering, just a few miles away from our new Engineering Academy and we’re really excited that our apprentices will get the opportunity to provide engineering support and manufacture new parts for such an iconic engineering masterpiece back here in the Blackburn area where it all started.”

WEC Group opened its in-house Engineering Academy back in 2006 and over 200 apprentices have been trained at the facility since.

Apprentices get to learn their craft while working on exciting projects, like fabricating a range of parts and a trailer for the Longbow Jet Hydroplane and the successful launch the Skybolt 2 space rocket.

WEC Group recently relocated their Engineering Academy to a new purpose-built training facility at Walker Park, Blackburn, following a two-year construction and a £3m private investment by Hartley.

The new academy opened in September 2022 and will allow the company to train a further 400 apprentices over the next 10 years.

Jeff Carroll, vice chair of The Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum, said: “It’s really pleasing that we can announce the involvement of WEC Group with the Ruskin Museum. Their experience in a diverse range of engineering projects is incredible and we are honoured that Steve has seen fit to involve himself in our aims.”

“It is incredibly fitting that when we have physical possession of Bluebird K7, that she should be worked on by supervised apprentices giving them a memorable experience they will carry for the rest of their lives. The additional fact that the Apprentice Academy is in Lancashire, not far from where K7 was originally built, is all the more poetic.”

“Steve’s interest, background and network in aero and motorsport engineering are very impressive and should come in very useful in maintaining the future of Bluebird K7.”